Reader’s letters - Monday June 16, 2014

During the weekend I decided to take the dog for a walk through what used to be called Lancashire countryside.

We arrived at that once was Whittingham hospital, all it is now is rubble dust, a few walls here and there, a clubhouse and a defunct church.

All that is left of yesteryear is the pond, the cricket field not a pleasant walk, not a pleasant sight. Longridge and Chipping will follow as bricks and mortar are taking over where fields and wildlife used to be.

I am lucky I knew these places as there were cattle, sheep, birds and wildlife a plenty.

Future generations will never know what countryside was.

It would be interesting to hear what the readers who live in that area think.

Brian Lockley, Fulwood

Wardens drive away visitors

My wife and myself recently visited the area from the Isle of Anglesey for a few days.

The area is stunning but unfortunately we will not be returning to shop in Clitheroe.

On the day we were due to leave we decided to get a few things from Clitheroe and after spending money in around six shops we returned to our car to find a traffic warden writing out a ticket.

When we told him that we were on holiday and had no idea what we were doing wrong, he pointed out that we were in a disabled spot. When I looked, the space in front said disabled but it did not say it in the place we were parked.

I pointed this out, but he told us that the ticket was already made out and we should appeal. The space behind us said for deliveries only, but he then continued to hand out a parking ticket to a lady who was quite clearly making a delivery to a shop.

We have decided not to appeal and have paid the reduced £35 fine, but my point is, can Clitheroe can afford to lose shoppers because of reckless traffic wardens? We think not, as we the only ones that day in every shop we went in.

Sadly we will not shop in Clitheroe again if we return to the area.

Bill Abbott , Isle of Anglesey

Village will not be same again

I had the misfortune to attend the Fylde Council decision on 85 houses planned for Riversleigh Far﻿m, Warton, last Wednesday at Lowther. What a disgrace, what a farce.

Warton residents were allowed to speak for three minutes each against the clock on the desk.

It seemed whatever they said fell on deaf ears as they already had the decision to build.

This now will open the gates to all sorts of planning applications which cannot now be refused.

Many Warton residents, including the Wrapp team and parish councillors, have worked tirelessly to stop this going ahead, on their behalf I would like to say thank you councillors, you know who you are for destroying our lovely village. And making it into a town.

David Hoyle, Warton

D-Day events a missed chance

Watching the D-Day celebrations on the television, I was thinking where were the celebrations in Preston? None. This is a disgrace to the people who served in the armed forces on this day.

My father was in Dunkirk the day France capitulated and left hundreds of English service men stranded and I think the people should have had some remembrance but no nothing.

Maybe you should take Proud out of Preston, because there was none on D-Day.

Stella Kyarsgaard, Penwortham

Day Scout troop was crowned

You featured a photograph of a group of scouts from Newman College archive and requested more details about them (Looking Back June 11).

They were, if I’ve got the year right, the 1967 Harris Cup winning patrol, representing the 16th Preston – Catholic College – Scout Troop (or Group in the new terminology which came in that year).

The boys were, from left to right, Anthony “Charlie” Bamber. I had to think for a minute about his first name, because he was known by no other name than Charlie, after Charlie Brown, “that little round-headed kid” in the Peanuts cartoon.

Second from left is Bernard Hartley. Third holding the cup is Patrol Leader Michael Bedworth, who was also Troop Leader (or Senior Patrol Leader) that year.

Sharing the cup with Michael is Edmund Fletcher, who went on to become a Benedictine monk and appeared briefly in a BBC TV documentary about Ampleforth Abbey in the 1970s. Next is Michael Dalton, and on the end, on the right, Andrew Bullen.

If memory serves this photo was taken at the triumphant “homecoming”, following the competition at Waddecar Scout Camp, at the 16th Preston annual late summer camp in August, at their regular site at Higher Greystoneley Farm near Chipping.

The photo would have been taken by the Scout Master (Group Scout Leader) Peter Williams (later a District Commissioner I believe), or by his assistant Anthony Donlan.

I wonder what happened to all the log books which meticulously recorded the details of events and photos in the life of the troop / group, like the one featured. 16th Preston must have been disbanded once Newman College was established. Philip McLaughlin, ex 16th Preston Scout

Search for war heroes’ family

Ribchester’s new war memorial is to be dedicated at a ceremony on Sunday, August 3. I am still looking for relatives of some of the names on the memorial: Pte Herbert Counsell, Pte Reginald Baines, Gunner Robert Cross, Pte Thom Walmsley, Pte Edward Smithies